Rating of
3.5/4
Simply Amazing
MovieMike - wrote on 12/22/11
‘The Terminator’ and ‘Titanic’ were certainly both notable films for their effects, but also for their innovative stories as well. Is it possible for Director/Writer James Cameron to strike pay dirt yet a third time? Does his latest offering, ‘Avatar’ live up to the hype? Is the 3-D version worth the extra coin? The answer is yes, yes, yes! I can’t say how the film directly compares to the regular 2-D version, but this is not one of those movies where the 3-D effects are limited to just a few scenes, so I think it really added value to the viewing experience.
The film itself is a visual stunner. WETA (of ‘Lord Of The Rings’ fame) studios played a major role in providing the CGI that makes up the bulk of this film. The computerized graphics manage to avoid making the film look like some over-blown video game and are consistently rich in detail. At one point I almost found myself wanting to swat at the little insects that were hovering around in the foreground of a couple scenes.
The story itself takes the concept first used in the film ‘Surrogates’ and adds a unique twist. Instead of using automatons to do the host’s bidding, in ‘Avatar’, scientists have found a way to bio-engineer living organisms that mimic the life forms of the planet Pandora. Using a device similar to the unit suggested in ‘Surrogates’, humans are able to inhabit this form vicariously and mingle with the natives.
While the main story treads familiar ground on the subject of imperialism and seeking to pillage another territory’s natural resources, Cameron adds a number of story lines and plot elements that manage to keep the story from becoming a one note song. While I did see some hints of ‘Dances With Wolves’ and other cowboy and Indian-type films, the story has it’s own distinct flavor and had me firmly hooked from the first few frames.
Sam Worthington (‘Terminator - Salvation’) plays the main character, Jake Sully, a paraplegic who finds freedom in embodying his fully ambulatory avatar. He is immediately likeable, engaging and executes his role very well – you can’t help but root for him all the way. Sigourney Weaver, as Dr. Augustine, is along as leader of the Avatar team and a scientist intent on studying the planet and inhabitants of Pandora. Stephen Lang (‘Public Enemies’) fills in as hard-nosed Marine Colonel Miles Quaritch, who is just itching to use all the firepower available to ‘persuade’ the natives to come to terms.
With a running time approaching the 3-hour mark, Avatar manages to keep things moving along smartly, so you’d hardly notice the additional time. Cameron keeps the pace even and manages to fill every minute with meaningful scenes and action. I do have to note here that this film is rated PG-13 (for intense epic battle sequences and warfare, sensuality, language and some smoking) and want to inform readers that this isn’t necessarily a kid’s animation film. One parent had a younger child in the theater where I saw this and it was obvious he was upset by a couple of the scenes.
I think ‘Avatar’ has again raised the bar for films that rely on CGI and James Cameron has another winner on his hands. Stop reading this and go see it already!
